Two city educators have lost their administrative credentials in the first public actions taken in a widespread Philadelphia standardized test-cheating scandal.Former Philadelphia School District principals Barbara McCreery of Communications Technology High School and Lolamarie Davis-O'Rourke of Locke Elementary both voluntarily surrendered their administrative certificates in lieu of discipline last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Education said Wednesday.Both confessed to cheating, an official with firsthand knowledge of the investigations said. According to state records, McCreery erased and changed students' answers, created an answer key, and manipulated student data; O'Rourke also erased and changed answers and gave students answers."Instead of going through the hearing process, they surrendered," the source said of McCreery and O'Rourke.And, the official said, the actions against the two are "just the beginning," with more penalties against other district educators expected "in the next few weeks."

But get this...

Unlike the Atlanta cheating scandal, where 35 educators have been indicted on criminal charges, neither McCreery nor O'Rourke will be subject to criminal penalties, state officials have said.Beginning with the 2012 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, educators had to sign affidavits acknowledging that if they tampered with tests, they would be subject to criminal charges; without that affidavit, officials don't believe they had the juice to press charges.Though they gave up administrative licenses, McCreery and O'Rourke get to retain their Pennsylvania teaching certificates, but any potential employers would be notified they lost their supervisory credentials.

It also appears that McCreery and O'Rourke will keep their pensions.

Wow....cheat and still get to keep your pensions. Those pensions should be raided to fund tutoring for the children they cheated out of an education.